Airbox with debris removal system

Abstract

An airbox includes an intake air inlet in a housing, wherein the intake air inlet includes a first portion and a second portion, at least one air outlet in the housing, and an air chamber within the housing and fluidly connected to the intake air inlet and the at least one air outlet. The air chamber includes an internal wall that divides the air chamber along an axis thereof into a first air chamber portion fluidly connected to the first portion of the air inlet and a second air chamber portion fluidly connected to the second portion of the air inlet, and a moveable air inlet damper configured to seal the first portion of the air inlet and occlude the first air chamber portion, or to seal the second portion of the air inlet and occlude the second air chamber portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An airbox, comprising:
 an intake air inlet in a housing, wherein the intake air inlet comprises a first portion and a second portion,   at least one air outlet in the housing, and   an air chamber within the housing and fluidly connected to the intake air inlet and the at least one air outlet, wherein the air chamber comprises an internal wall that divides the air chamber along an axis thereof into a first air chamber portion fluidly connected to the first portion of the air inlet and a second air chamber portion fluidly connected to the second portion of the air inlet, and   a moveable air inlet damper configured to seal the first portion of the air inlet and occlude the first air chamber portion, or to seal the second portion of the air inlet and occlude the second air chamber portion.   
     
     
         2 . The airbox of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one debris removal device port in the housing, wherein the at least debris removal device port is fluidly connected to at least one of the first air chamber portion and the second air chamber portion. 
     
     
         3 . The airbox of  claim 2 , further comprising a debris removal device in the at least one debris removal device port, wherein the debris removal device is chosen from ultrasonic, pulsed air, blasted air, vibratory, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The airbox of  claim 3 , wherein the debris removal device comprises at least one pulsed air debris removal device. 
     
     
         5 . The airbox of  claim 1 , wherein the first air chamber portion and the second air chamber portion each have a semicylindrical shape with respect to the axis. 
     
     
         6 . The airbox of  claim 1 , wherein the moveable damper comprises a sealing member configured to engage a sealing edge of the air inlet. 
     
     
         7 . The airbox of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one filtration element configured to remove debris from an intake air stream between the intake air inlet and the intake air outlet, wherein the at least one filtration element comprises a first portion configured to remove debris from a first intake air stream within the first air chamber and a second portion configured to remove debris from a second intake air stream within the second air chamber. 
     
     
         8 . A method for removing debris from an air filtration element in an airbox for an internal combustion engine, the method comprising:
 providing an airbox housing comprising:
 an intake air inlet, wherein the air inlet comprises a first portion and a second portion; 
 an intake air outlet, 
 an air chamber between the intake air inlet and the intake air outlet, wherein the air chamber comprises a first portion and a second portion, and 
 a filtration element between the intake air inlet and the intake air outlet, wherein the filtration element comprises a first portion configured to remove debris from a first intake air stream in the first portion of the air chamber and a second portion configured to remove debris from a second intake air stream within the second portion of the air chamber; 
   sealing the first portion of the intake air inlet to occlude the first portion of the air chamber and the first portion of the filtration element while allowing flow of the second air stream through second portion of the intake air inlet, the second portion of the filtration element, and the second portion of the air chamber; and   removing debris from the first portion of the air filtration element.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein removing the debris from the first portion of the air chamber comprises pulsing air into the first portion of the air chamber to dislodge debris from the first portion of the air filtration element. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising generating an exhaust air stream and entraining debris dislodged from the first portion of the air filtration element in the exhaust air stream. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the exhaust air stream is generated with at least one of an axial fan, a centrifugal fan, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . A modular airbox system, comprising:
 a housing, comprising:   a central interior wall in a central plane;   opposed first and second walls, each in a plane substantially normal to the central plane, wherein the first wall comprises at least one intake air outlet and the second wall comprises at least one debris removal device inlet,   a substantially cylindrical air chamber fluidly connected between the at least one intake air outlet and the at least one debris removal device inlet, wherein the central interior wall divides the air chamber to form a first air chamber portion and a second air chamber portion, and wherein the each of the first air chamber portion and the second air chamber portion have a substantially semicylindrical shape,   an annular channel about an external surface of the air chamber, and   an intake air inlet in a third wall substantially normal to the first wall, the second wall, and the central interior wall, wherein the intake air inlet is fluidly connected to the first air chamber portion and the second air chamber portion, and wherein the air intake comprises a first intake air inlet portion and second intake air inlet portion, and   moveable damper in the air intake inlet, wherein the damper is configured to seal against an interior wall of the housing and occlude either:   the first intake air inlet portion and the first air chamber portion, or   the second intake air inlet portion and the second air chamber portion.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the housing further comprises a debris removal port in the first wall, wherein the debris removal port is fluidly connected to the air chamber. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the cylindrical air chamber has a first end at the intake air outlet and a second end at the debris removal device inlet, and wherein a radius of the second end of the cylindrical air chamber is greater than a radius of the first end of the cylindrical air chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the moveable damper comprises a sealing member configured to engage the interior wall of the housing. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising a removable filtration element in the annular channel, wherein the filtration element is configured to remove debris from an intake air stream flowing between the intake air inlet and the intake air outlet. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the filtration element comprises folded paper. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the intake air outlet terminates in a nozzle extending from an exterior wall of the housing. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising at least one debris removal device mounted in the debris removal device inlet, wherein the debris removal device is chosen from ultrasonic, pulsed air, blasted air, vibratory, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the debris removal device comprises a first debris removal device fluidly connected to the first air chamber portion and a second debris removal device fluidly connected to the second air chamber portion. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , further comprising a fan in the debris removal port, wherein the fan is configured to form an exhaust air stream to entrain debris for removal through the debris removal outlet.